Someone said that Kamala Harris did not do enough to pass the message to voters. The problem was that she did, but it was the wrong message. And here in Florida, prominent democrats are trying float ideas attempting to revive a moribund party. At this stage of the game, turning Florida blue is a Sisyphean enterprise. Democrats, let’s roll that rock up the hill anyway. Apathy is the worst enemy of democracy.
The woke mentality of the left was given a severe thrashing and it was the perception of most voters that they had, rightly, enough of cancel culture, with universities cancelling those of opposing points of view from the traditional left, DEI culture and the general feeling, among other things, that some trans rights were intruding on both traditional culture and common sense.
The Trump campaign hammered video of a clearly masculine, hairy, arm-pitted, grotesquely tattooed trans basketball player, twice the size of the opposition flexing his/her muscles to a group of befuddled, intimidated girls. This was a blatant, but effective call to baser voter instincts. But that is what Trump does. Reptilian arguments stoke fear.
It really does not take too much thought to understand that trans women do not have the same physical attributes of female athletes, and that thought was conveyed at the ballot box. Sally playing with George (Georgina) is not playing well in flyover country or in Florida (fly to country.)
Of course, that is an exaggeration and an emotional argument which many believe would discriminate against people with alternative lifestyles. That discrimination should not be countenanced.
Additionally, the pro-abortion movement was not sufficiently thought of as a reason for people to abandon their feelings about paying $8 for eggs, instead of $4.00 no matter how grassfed or organic they be. And a majority did not care about Trump’s mendacity, sexual abuse, and misogyny. Nor did they care about threats to democracy or the attempted coup on January 6, 2021.
They cared about the border for sure. Earlier generations of immigrants always became “American” enough to reject later generations. It’s history. American history. Chinese, Japanese, Italians, Irish, Jews all suffered rejection at first. Did they threaten jobs of the people already here? Probably. But America thrived with immigrants and will do so again. Just keep the criminals out. Trump mischaracterized immigrants to his advantage. People did not believe Kamala’s protestations. She bore the brunt of the MAGA attack and bore the responsibility for the Biden immigration policy.
What does that say about America in the 21st century? We really do not know. Is the MAGA movement the slippery slope to authoritarianism? Is this, as Putin thinks, the decline of the American world order? I like to think not, judging by worse things we have come through as a nation. Civil War, Great Depression, World Wars I and II, Viet-Nam, the Cold War etc. etc.
People who fear authoritarianism are correct to do so. Authoritarian bent leaders select lackeys and knuckleheads to serve in the government because they have nothing else to recommend them, save the leader, and will be completely loyal to him, or lose their jobs. Trump learned his lesson about having people smarter than he is around him. Dimwits do not write books trashing the boss. Kim Jung Un has similar hiring habits but says “you’re fired” in a less salubrious manner.
Trump’s cabinet picks so far with the perhaps the exception of Rubio, are not serious. They are intended as a loyalty test for Republican senators. Previously, the loyalty test was simply saying the election was stolen. Now it is whether an incompetent dunce, no matter how unqualified, can pass confirmation muster and perhaps to determine which GOP senator will be relegated to Trumpian purgatory for not following the leader.
For those who forgot how chaotic Trump’s first term was and voted for him because they did not like the Biden administration, are you scared yet? Stay tuned.